Did Rashmika Mandanna Refuse to Attend a Bengaluru Film Festival? Here’s What Sources Say!

Congress MLA Ravi Ganiga from Mandya, Karnataka, slammed the actor for allegedly refusing to attend the Bengaluru International Film Festival and asked if she should be taught a lesson for neglecting the industry where she started her career.

In a recent controversy, discussions about Rashmika Mandanna’s refusal to attend the Bengaluru International Film Festival as claimed by a Congress MLA have been dismissed by the actor’s team.

According to reports, Mandanna’s team has refuted the claims and said that these claims are baseless. On the other hand, Karnataka Congress MLA Ravikumar Gowda Ganiga accused the Chavva actor of neglecting the Kannada language recently.

The controversy began when the MLA accused the actress of declining multiple invitations to the film festival. On March 3, during an interaction with the media, Ganiga told the media, “Rashmika Mandanna, who started her career with the Kannada movie ‘Kirik Party,’ refused to attend the International Film Festival last year when we invited her. She said, ‘I have my house in Hyderabad, I don’t know where Karnataka is, and I don’t have time. I can’t come.’ One of our legislator friends visited her house 10–12 times to invite her, but she refused and even disregarded Kannada, despite growing up in the industry here. Shouldn’t we teach her a lesson?”

The MLA further suggested to the government that it should consider withdrawing the subsidies given to the actor’s films as a result of her alleged behavior. 

According to a report of News24, a close source of Rashmika Mandanna mentioned, “This bears reference to certain news reports alleging that Rashmika refused to attend the Bengaluru film festival and made derogatory statements about it and the state. The said news reports are completely false and do not have any element of truth.”

The source further said, “The statements attributed to Rashmika and the entire story about someone approaching Rashmika and she refusing to attend the Bengaluru film festival are incorrect. This statement is being issued for placing the correct facts on record and for quelling any false narratives.”

On March 4, MLA Ganiga said that he had proof of Rashmika declining the invitation and he would present it. He said, “It is not Rashmika’s statement but Rashmika’s team’s statement. We will release the document (proof) publicly that we had invited Rashmika to the film festival (Bengaluru Film Festival) but she refused.”

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also expressed his disappointment over the low turnout of the Kannada film industry at the festival’s commencement on March 1. He opened up about the significance of the event for the Kannada Film Association and questioned the absence of the actors, directors, and producers from the festival. 

As of now, Rashmika Mandanna has not personally responded to allegations made by the MLA Ravi Ganiga and any claims regarding the same. 

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